The Atlanta Braves have signed 1B/3B Pablo Sandoval to a minor league contract.
While the Braves are currently leading the Major Leagues in runs per game, there are a couple of small imperfections in the overall offensive unit. The biggest has been the team’s relative lack of production against left-handed pitching. Atlanta overall is hitting .240/.310/.404 against lefties in 365 total plate appearances, good for a 89 wRC+ in 2020. Comparatively, the Braves are destroying right-handed pitchers to a .278/.355/.509 clip in 1456 plate appearances, a 127 wRC+.
As the team is currently configured, the Braves only have Tyler Flowers, Adeiny Hechavarria, and Ender Inciarte on the bench. The Braves will certainly add another bench option for the playoffs, and it still is most likely going to be Johan Camargo.
The problem: of these four batters, only Hechavarria has shown to be an above average hitter against lefties since the start of the 2019 season, and he’s only had 20 plate appearances versus left-handers in that time frame.
Here Comes the Big Boss
Pablo Sandoval is of course a San Francisco Giants legend, a key component of the team’s championship runs in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Nicknamed “Kung Fu Panda” for his rotund stature, Sandoval set a Giants record with a 14-game postseason hitting streak stretching from 2012-14, second in the National League only behind Marquis Grissom‘s 15-game streak with the 1995-96 Braves. Overall Sandoval owns a .344/.389/.545 lifetime batting line in the postseason.
That said, Sandoval is now 34 years old and hasn’t been a consistent run producer in six years. His defense has also deteriorated to the point that he should probably not play the field unless in desperation or a blow-out. A switch-hitter, Sandoval has historically been better against right-handed pitching.
However, since the start of the 2019 season Sandoval has reversed that tendency, hitting .310/.375/.535 with 3 home runs in 65 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers, mostly in pinch-hitting duties. This seams to be precisely the role that Sandoval would play for a potential Braves post-season team.
Expert Timing
The league deadline for player eligibility for the post-season is Wednesday, September 15, so any players added to the 60-man player pool after tomorrow would be ineligible. The Giants, fighting for a spot as a lower seed in this year’s expanded playoff format, recently signed first baseman Justin Smoak, effectively making Sandoval redundant on their roster. However, they made sure to release Sandoval prior to the roster deadline so that he could still catch on with another team and get another shot at postseason glory.
Will it be with Atlanta? With Hechavarria, Flowers, and likely Inciarte set for the bench it may come down to Johan Camargo’s defensive flexibility versus Sandoval’s experience as a pinch-hitter. If watching Dreamworks animated films has taught me anything its that you never count out a panda before the movie rolls the end credits.
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